DAVID R. SANDS: So busted — favorite forfeited for note-taking during chess game

Favorites Hikaru Nakamura and Irina Krush lived up to their billing with impressive victories in the 2015 U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Championships. A new generation of American stars made their mark, and a number of impressive games were played.

But the best move of the past two weeks at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis may have been made by the chief arbiter, Tony Rich.

In a stunning decision, Rich forfeited 21-year-old GM Wesley So, the ninth-highest-rated player in the world, in his Round 9 game against GM Varuzhan Akobian after just six moves, when it was discovered that So was writing notes to himself during the game, a practice forbidden under FIDE rules. (The game in its entirety: 1. d4 e6. 2. c4 d5 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. dxc5 White forfeits.)

At first, it seemed like an abuse of power by a rules-obsessed referee, but it was quickly revealed that So was warned at least twice before during the tournament about note-writing on his score sheet and was told after Round 3 that the next violation would lead to a forfeit. Rich appeared to bend over backward to give So a fair shake, and both he and Akobian seemed mystified what possessed one of the top players in the world to repeatedly flout a clear rule.

The ban was imposed to prevent players from writing down memorized variations or key ideas, not to mention the distraction it can provide for the opposing player. So’s jottings were more of a hortatory nature — against Akobian, he scribbled “Double and triple check” and “Use your time” — but there is no doubt the “Notes to self” broke the FIDE rule. It seems So, who recently transferred to the U.S. chess federation from his native Philippines, is also dealing with some serious disruptions in his personal life. Let’s hope he gets his problems on and off the board straightened out quickly.

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The So controversy couldn’t quite overshadow the superb results by Nakamura and Krush, who racked up their third Open and seventh women’s titles, respectively. Neither had it easy, as Nakamura had to win his last-round game against GM Alex Onischuk to hold off hard-charging GM Ray Robson, edging the 20-year-old Webster University college student by a half-point with an 8-3 score.

Krush was rocked by an early upset at the hands of Maryland IM Nazi Paikidze, but finished with a scoring burst to finish a point ahead of Paikidze and WGM Katerina Nemcova at 8½-2½. While So was making headlines with his forfeit, Krush was picking up a critical point against California WGM Tatev Abrahamyan in the same round, proving just a bit stronger in the game’s crunch time.

Abrahamyan acquits herself well as Black in this Rubinstein Nimzo-Indian, with her pressure on the half-open c-file forcing Krush into the simplifying line 23. Rfd1 Qc7 24. Nf4 Rxc4 25. Rxd7 Qxd7! (Black’s shaky kingside would be vulnerable after the tempting 25…Rxc1?! 27. Rxc7 R1xc7 28. Qxb6) 26. Rxc4 Rxc4 27. Qxc4 b5 28. axb5 axb5, with White’s minuscule advantage owing to the open Black kingside and the ability to the queen-knight combination to overpower the queen-bishop tandem.

White’s persistent pressure pays off just when a draw for Black was in sight: 33. Qd8 Qxb2 34. Nh5 b3? (just a little too careless with her king; GM Josh Friedel recommended 34…Qc1! 35. f4 [Nf6+ Kg7 36. Nd7 Qh6+ 37. Kg2 Qd2+, with a perpetual] Qc5 36. Nxf6+ Kg7 37. e5 b3! 38. Ne8+ Kg8 39. Qg5+ Kh8 40. Nf6 Bg7, and Black defends), and now the queen and knight do a neat geometrical dance to deliver mate: 35. Nxf6+ Kg7 36. Nd7 Qa3 37. Qg5+ Kg8 38. Qe5+! (the critical check) Kg8 39. Nf6+ Kh8 40. Qh5, and Black is mated after 40…h6 (Kg7 41. Qg5+) 41. Qxf7 Qe7 41. Qg8 mate.

Youth was served in the championships, with the winner Nakamura still just 27 and seven of the 12 players in the Open field 23 or younger. The youthful vigor made for some exciting and at times uneven play, as could be seen in the wild Round 5 battle between Kansas GM Conrad Holt, 21, and Utah GM Kayden Troff, who at just 16 was still two years older than the youngest entrant, New York GM Sam Sevian.

The game is a heartbreaker for Holt, who handles the craziness with aplomb in this Grunfeld, accepting two gambit pawns, navigating a maze of complications and getting on a path to victory after 39. Qd2 Qb6 (Black’s only hope is to keep the position messy and the queens on the board) 40. Kf1 Qb5+ 41. Kg1 Qb6+ 42. Kg2 Ne3+ (see diagram), when 43. Kf3! keeps the win securely in sight.

Instead, Troff pulls out a miracle after 43. Kh3?? g5! (clearing the sixth rank for the Black queen to get to h6, with lethal results; unfortunately, White can’t play 44. Qd6+ Qxd6 45. Rxd6 because of 45…g4+ 46. Kh4 Nf5+, picking off the rook) 44. Rd6 g4+! 45. Kh4 Nf5+ 46. Kg5 Qxd6 47. Qb2 Nd4 48. Kxg4 Rc5, and White resigned a hopeless position.

Krush-Abrahamyan, U.S. Women’s Championship, St. Louis, April 2015

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. Nf3 c5 6. dxc5 Na6 7. g3 Nxc5 8. Bg2 b6 9. O-O Bb7 10. Nb5 Be4 11. Qd1 a6 12. Nd6 Bc6 13. Bg5 Nce4 14. Nxe4 Bxe4 15. Ne5 Bxg2 16. Kxg2 Ra7 17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. Nd3 Be7 19. e4 Rc7 20. Qb3 Qb8 21. a4 Rfc8 22. Rac1 Rc6 23. Rfd1 Qc7 24. Nf4 Rxc4 25. Rxd7 Qxd7 26. Rxc4 Rxc4 27. Qxc4 b5 28. axb5 axb5 29. Qd3 Qc6 30. f3 b4 31. Kh3 Qc1 32. Qd7 Bf8 33. Qd8 Qxb2 34. Nh5 b3 35. Nxf6+ Kg7 36. Nd7 Qa3 37. Qg5+ Kh8 38. Qe5+ Kg8 39. Nf6+ Kh8 40. Qh5 White resigns.

Holt-Troff, U.S. National Championship, St. Louis, April 2015

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Rc1 c5 7. dxc5 Qa5 8. cxd5 Rd8 9. Bc4 Be6 10. e4 Nxe4 11. Ne2 Nxf2 12. Qa4 Qxc5 13. dxe6 Nxh1 14. exf7+ Kf8 15. Ne4 Qb6 16. Bc7 Qe3 17. Bxd8 Nc6 18. Bxe7+ Nxe7 19. Be6 b5 20. Qc2 Nf2 21. Nc5 Rd8 22. Qb3 Nd3+ 23. Nxd3 Rxd3 24. Qxb5 Qd2+ 25. Kf1 Rd8 26. Bb3 Qxb2 27. Qa5 Qf6+ 28. Ke1 Rb8 29. Qxa7 Qd6 30. g3 Be5 31. Qc5 Qf6 32. Rd1 Rc8 33. Qb4 Kg7 34. Rd7 Kf8 35. Qd2 Nf5 36. Nf4 Bxf4 37. Qxf4 Qb6 38. Qf2 Qa5+ 39. Qd2 Qb6 40. Kf1 Qb5+ 41. Kg1 Qb6+ 42. Kg2 Ne3+ 43. Kh3 g5 44. Rd6 g4+ 45. Kh4 Nf5+ 46. Kg5 Qxd6 47. Qb2 Nd4 48. Kxg4 Rc5 White resigns.

• David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by email at dsands@washingtontimes.com.